Adjustable heating element supports



Dec. 22, 1964 L. c HANSON 3,162,755

ADJUSTABLE HEATING ELEMENT SUPPORTS Filed June 5, 1962 127M614! for.

United States Patent 3,162,755 ADJUSTABLE HEATING ELEMENT SUPPGRTS Leroy C. Hanson, Elrnhurst, Ell, assignor to Ferro Corporation, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 5, 1962, Ser. No. 200,102 2 Claims. (Cl. 219-526) This invention relates to a heating unit assembly, and more particularly to a readily adjustable means for mounting and supporting the heating element of a heating unit assembly on a range top or the like having various size surface openings.

Heating elements are mounted on an electric range by legged spiders as is well known in the art. However, electric ranges presently have various size elements and a diflferent size spider is used to support each element, making the construction of the heating unit assembly both difficult and costly. It is therefore desirable to have ele ment supporting spiders which may all be manufactured alike, but include means therein to provide a simple adjustment in the length of the spider legs to fit various size range openings. This adjustment will also allow for the minor size variations in the range openings which are a result of manufacturing tolerances during construction.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device of the type described above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a supporting spider having at least one leg thereof infinitely adjustable between its limits by means of a screw device on said leg.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a supporting spider having at least one leg thereof ad justable by means of scored, break-off portions at the outer end of the leg.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a supporting spider having at least one leg thereof adjustable by means of a bendable portion at the outer end of the leg.

Other objects and advantages will become readily ap parent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention shown in its environment with the heating element and a portion of a range top;

PEG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the lines 22 of FIG. 1;

MG. 3 is anenlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a spiderremoved from the heating unit assembly; and

PEG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 4 of a third embodiment of the invention.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention, together with modifications thereof, withthe understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiments illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims. 7

Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 illustrates a plan View of one embodiment of the spider support it) shown in relation to its surrounding elements. The heating unit assembly generally shown at lljl includes a sheathed coil 12 and the supporting spider id. The coil 12 is movably attached to the spider llll as by attaching elements 113 connected to the coil 12 and passing through apertures lid in the spider ill. Electrical contacts 15 provide 3,162,755 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 therein and a drip pan 17 is positioned within this openmg,

As is well known in the art, a support spider 10 is used to hold the heating element in position in the opening of the range top 16. The spider id is formed from three similarly shaped pieces, A, B and C, and all three embodiments shown in this disclosure will be described similarly except for the adjustable ends thereon. The piece A of the spider is exactly similar in all three embodiments and includes the apertures 14 on the leg thereof, a curved connecting portion a and an attaching flange a. At the outer end of this leg a dog 13 is formed. This dog, as shown in FIG. 2, fits into aperture 19 of a vertical side of range top in and firmly positions the spider within the range opening yet permits removal of the spider 10 and heating element to allow cleaning of drip pan 17. The adjustable ends of the spider it) are shown in the three preferred embodiments and these will be described in detail hereinafter.

The first embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 3) includes a bracket 20 permanently ai'iixed to the outer end of the legs of spider it) as by welding. This bracket includes apertures 21 and 22 and screw member 24 passing through said apertures. in operation the screw members 24 are adjusted to create the proper length on the outer ends of the spider lti so that the spider will be firmly but releasably held in the range top. As shown in FIG. 3 the head 25 of screw member 24 rests on the lower flange of range opening 16 and supports the heating unit assembly in its proper position.

The second embodiment shown in FIG. 4 is similar except for the adjustable means at the outer end of spider it These adjustable means consist of scored portions 30 and s1. Of course there could be any number of scored portions on the outer end of the spider le but only two are shown here for simplicity. When it is desired to adjust the length of the spider legs so that the spider It) will fit firmly in the range opening, the necessary portions 34} or 31 are broken off and the spider leg is thus shortened to its necessary length for properly positioning the spider and heating unit assembly 11.

The third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, again is similar to the others, except for the adjustable ends of the spider legs. This embodiment includes a slot 35 normal to the end of the spider leg with the top portion of the spider leg being shorter as at 36 than the lower portion of the spider leg as at 37. In order to adjust this form of the spider, the longer portion of the spider leg 37 is bent so as to shorten the spider leg the necessary amount so that the spider is firmly yet releasably held in the range top opening.

in all forms of this invention, the lower edge of the spider leg rests on the flange of the range top 16 as illustrated by the screw head 25 in FIG. 3.

Thus it has been shown how three similar members,

: A, B and C, can be attached together to form a simple,

single unit spider it), and various adjustable means as described hereinabove can be positioned at the outer ends of Lhe necessary spider legs to provide for a supporting structure positioning a heating unit assembly in its proper relationship with a range top, so that the heating unit assembly is firmly held therein, yet is releasably mounted so that it may be removed for necessary cleaning and maintenance.

I claim:

1. A spider for mounting an electric heating element on an electric range having an opening therein to receive said element, comprising: a member having a plurality of radially extending legs, said member having a central portion adapted to be positioned in supporting relationship under the center of said heating element, said member possessing sul'llcient rigidity and strength to support said element and a cooking vessel placed thereon, the outer extremity of at least two of said legs being provided with outwardly extending strips integral with the legs and having a height substantially less than the height of the legs, said strips being of less rigidity and strength than the remainder of said legs and being readily bendable whereby to adjust the radial extent of said legs to accommodate openings of different size.

2. The spider of claim 1 in which said strips are scored.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Allen July 18, 1950 Vogel et a1. Aug. 21, 1951 Charbonneau June 30, 1953 Rutenber Feb. 9, 1954 Carani Oct. 2, 1956 Bremer et a1 Oct. 27, 1959 Amrnerman et a1 Jan. 8, 1963 

1. A SPIDER FOR MOUNTING AN ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT ON AN ELECTRIC RANGE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN TO RECEIVE SAID ELEMENT, COMPRISING: A MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY EXTENDING LEGS, SAID MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN SUPPORTING RELATIONSHIP UNDER THE CENTER OF SAID HEATING ELEMENT, SAID MEMBER POSSESSING SUFFICIENT RIGIDITY AND STRENGTH TO SUPPORT SAID ELEMENT AND A COOKING VESSEL PLACED THEREON, THE OUTER EXTREMITY OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID LEGS BEING PROVIDED WITH OUTWARDLY EXTENDING STRIPS INTEGRAL WITH THE LEGS AND HAVING A HEIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE HEIGHT OF THE LEGS, SAID STRIPS BEING OF LESS RIGIDITY AND STRENGTH THAN THE REMAINDER OF SAID LEGS AND BEING READILY BENDABLE WHEREBY TO ADJUST THE RADIAL EXTENT OF SAID LEGS TO ACCOMMODATE OPENINGS OF DIFFERENT SIZE. 